Don't make promises you can't keep
by Ti-girl
Summary: Part 2 in my "One Voice" universe. While on their honeymoon, Ziva is kidnapped and taken back to Mossad. Tony and the rest of NCIS does everything in their power to bring their family back together. But getting her home is only the first hurdle they need to go through. (Lots of TIVA and family!TIVA)
1. Chapter 1

**_This is the second part of my One Voice universe. You MUST read One Voice before you read this story!_**

 ** _I don't own NCIS or the characters._** ** _  
_** ** _Please read and review! (Personally, it's always a bit disappointing when you get hundreds of follows and one review.)_**

The air was cool and dry. Recycled. Ziva licked her lips as her eyes opened slowly to the harsh airplane lighting. Her body ached, her brain foggy with questions and drugs, her senses dull, yet running in overtime to try to ground herself. She remembered the wedding, their wedding night, leaving for their honeymoon, their night of passion, and waking up to go running...then nothing. Struggling to sit up, she glanced around, spotting a man wearing a straight suit and a severe expression sitting on the other side of the jet.

"W-Wha…" Ziva started to mutter, her mouth full of grit and pain.

Silently he opened a bottle of water and passed it over to her. She took a small sip before glaring at him. "What the fuck, Uziel?" Ziva demanded, stretching her muscles out, her hand swiftly checking for her knife, which was missing.

"Do you really think that I would leave you armed, Ziva?" Uziel asked, lowering his dark glasses. "I am following the orders of Director David." He replied simply, picking up his drink and sipping it slowly. There was no rush to his movements, each calm and calculated. "He needs you."

Her eyes were dark and dangerous. "I need to call my husband." She enunciated the final word, the syllables rolling off her tongue.

Uziel shook his head. "You do nothing until you see Director David."

"I have _children_ , Uziel. I need to tell them I'm safe." She rose gingerly, her muscles still taught and stiff from the sedative.

" _I am following your father's orders, Ziva."_ He replied in Hebrew. " _There is no communication until we get to Israel."_

Her body shook as she took a bold step towards her. His eyes rose and he opened his jacket, the briefest glance of the sig in its holster before it disappeared back under his jacket. " _Now Ziva, just relax until we get to Israel."_ He went back to reading his newspaper as she slumped over on the seat, a new rush of drugs flowing through her veins. Uziel sighed and sipped his coffee. At least it would be a quiet trip.

* * *

Her side of the bed was cold when he woke up. His hand groped blindly around on the bed before opening his eyes and spotting the empty place. With a heavy yawn, Tony glanced at the clock. 9:08. He sat up quickly, his eyes darting around. 9:08 was late. Really late. Really really late. Throwing on a pair of shorts and a tshirt, Tony shoved his feet in his shoes and headed for the door, grabbing his cellphone and keycard with him. His finger kept hitting the redial on his phone. Nothing. Thankfully he knew that Ziva was a fan of Mapmyrun and he followed her run, his feet trudging through the sand. The wind and the tide had washed away her footsteps, his heart racing. Stopping in the now busy street, his trained eyes darted around wildly before he slumped against the building, the rough bricks scratching his back as he slid. With shaking fingers he pulled out his phone and dialled.

"Boss? Y-yeah. You gotta come here. Ziva. She's gone."

The reply he got was unexpected. "Don't touch anything Tony, but come back."

"But boss…" He started.

"Call the authorities, both LEOs and the FBI., then get the hell back." Gibbs said, waving over McGee.

"'I'll stay here and start taking pictures of our room and talk to the LEOs, send out some BOLOs from here…"

"TONY." Gibbs's voice had a weight to it that he hadn't heard before. A knowing and understanding, with an innate sadness that weighed it down. "Tony, you have to come back. Daniela and Jacob can't be here...alone." He said softly. "McGee and I will handle everything. Just come back."

Sighing heavily, Tony rested his head against the brick wall and closed his eyes. _Daniela and Jacob._ "Got it boss." Tony said weakly. "Got it."

* * *

When Ziva awoke the second time, the air was hot and dry, the scent of sunlight and sea hanging on the wind. She awoke slowly, her body sluggish and slow to react, fighting against the drugs that were fed into her body. This time there was more than just Uziel around her, four extra sets of eyes on her. Her hands were bound this time, multiple zipties used to keep her subdued. Glancing outside, Ziva spotted the dark SUV on the tarmac and she exhaled softly. Back on Israeli soil, back to whatever life she had before Daniela and Jacob, before Tony, before NCIS.

She followed the five men out to the vehicle and they surrounded her as she slid into the back seat. She could smell him before she saw him. "Papa." She said stiffly.

"Ziva."

The men disappeared. They were alone.

"I told you that you would come back," he said, a smugness in his voice. "I need my best agent, my Ziva, for this mission."

She stared at him incredulous, the coppery taste of blood filling her mouth as she bit down on the side of her cheek.

"One last mission, my Ziva." Eli said quietly, his stare penetrating and stiff. "Then you may go back and be a _mother_." He said, venom dripping in his voice. His daughter, a _mother._ He had raised her to be better than that, to be _more_ than that. And to raise children that didn't have David blood running through their veins...and with a gentile.

"Yes, I am a mother." Ziva said stiffly. "And that bothers you. What bothers you the most?" She asked, leaning forward and waiting for her father to cut the zip ties that bound her wrists. "Is it that I am a mother, that I did not not give birth to them, or that I am choosing to raise them with Tony?" She asked as her father cut her plastic binds. She rubbed her wrists and stared at her father. "Whether you like it or not Father, those are my children. They are mine and Tony's children." She flexed her wrists and hands and leaned back against the leather seat.

"One last mission, Ziva." Eli said pulling out his phone and flipping through it nonchalantly.

* * *

They knew who had taken her, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. Director Vance had confirmed their suspicions with a quick and easy call to Israel and Eli David. Gibbs doubted that Ziva had even touched down in Israel yet. But the Israelis were always efficient. He sighed and picked up Jacob, pressing his lips to his hair as they waited in the airport. Jenny sat with Daniela, talking quietly to the young girl. They had told Daniela and Jacob that Tony was coming home, but they didn't say the reason why, or mentioned Ziva.

Tony walked down the stairs, his go bag over his shoulder, a look of desperation on his face. Jacob noticed him first and he wiggled and tugged on Gibb's shirt. "I see Papa." He announced. "Please put me down."

Obliging, Gibbs placed the boy on the ground and he took off running towards Tony. His senior field agent knelt down and scooped up his son, burying his face in his shoulder. "Hey bud." He whispered, his voice catching in his throat. Daniela came up alongside and cuddled up against them.

"Mummy's…" She looked up at Tony and pressed her face into his side.

His fingers raked through her curls as he felt her hot tears soak into his shirt. "I know." He whispered. "But we're going to get her back."

"Promise?"

He looked up and met the steely gaze of his mentor and he nodded. "Promise."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N  
There's a lot of Tony!Angst going on in this chapter. We also get to see what mission Eli is sending Ziva on (and how she's dealing with it.) I didn't want to redo Somalia, but with the increase of violence in Syria it felt like a natural place to go. We also get to see a bit how Gibbs/Jenny and the kids are handling things.**

 **I was also a little bit disappointed to see only three reviews. If there is something you don't like, please tell me, or like tell me. If not a lot of people are interested, I'll just end the story here.**

Tony was living in a haze. He got the kids up, bathed and fed, and off to school. Then he spent the rest of the day trying to track Ziva's whereabouts, ordered a pizza for the kids, got them to bed, and then spent the rest of the night continuing to try to track Ziva's whereabouts. Day after day. He was a living shell of what he used to be, his life revolving around his computer and phone.

So far they had nothing, besides that she was back in Israel. Even Director Vance was shut down, and Jenny was blocked by all Mossad and Israeli contacts. Abby and McGee spent their free time trying to track and find the former Mossad officer. Things were quiet in the bullpen, without Ziva and for all intents and purposes, Tony. Their world had essentially stopped - their lives interrupted and stalled - for what felt like forever.

* * *

"Syria. We need you to infiltrate an ISIS cell." Eli David said, laying the plans on the table. "You'll be back on the Keidon unit. We need a woman to infiltrate. They abducted two politicians and three IDF officers." He started to explain the mission before Ziva put up her hand.

"I have a family, father. Kids. A HUSBAND." She flashed her ring to emphasize her words.

"One last mission Ziva." Eli sighed heavily and rubbed his temples. "Ziva, you love your country. Even though you might not remember, but you used to love Mossad. Your country needs you - both countries."

Sitting down on the chair across from him, Ziva wrung her hands in front of her. "What is the full mission?" She asked finally, a resigned sigh heavy in her voice.

"We need intel. We are going to do a rescue mission, but we can't do it without intelligence." Eli opened his tablet and started pulling up maps. "They were out doing a survey of the Golan Heights area and were taken by ISIS rebels. We are unsure of where they are being held, which is why we need intel. The two politicians are high level within the government,"

"And Mossad." Ziva finished with a knowing shake of the head.

"And Mossad." Eli agreed. "You leave tonight. I will gather your team."

Her dark eyes were lifeless and tired. "And then father, I am finished."

Pulling out her Mossad contract, Eli turned it around so she could read it. "I will burn it I will tear it, I will do anything that you want me to Zivaleh. I will let you go back to your Gentile husband and kids. Ziva, this is one last time for your country."

She nodded, a tired and shaky nod. " _Okay father."_ She whispered. He handed her the phone and sighed.

"I will leave you to call your husband and children. It is a secure line, they will not be able to trace it. If you say anything about the mission or where you are…" His sentence hung, a heavy and pregnant threat.

His footsteps echoed heavy as he left his office.

She picked up the phone, her hands shaking, tears pricking in her eyes. One ring...two ring...three rings. _Pick up pick up pick up pick up…_ Four rings… She was ready to leave a message, hang up, try again when she heard his voice. It was croaky and tired, gravelly, weak, but it was his voice.

"'Lo?" He mumbled.

"Tony."

"Ziva! Ziva! Where are you? You're alive? Are you okay?" His questions came out rapid fire as he reached for his cellphone and started to text Gibbs.

"I am….I am okay, Tony. I cannot tell you much, but I will be back as soon as I can." Ziva said softly. "I love you so much Tony. Please know that. And I love Daniela and Jacob. I WILL be back." She told him seriously. The door opened and Eli came back with three men following after him. The Kidon unit. "I have to go, Tony. But remember. I love you. I love our kids. I will be back for you." She hung up and looked over at her father. "I promised them that I would be back."

Eli nodded. "Get ready to go, Ziva. Here are your men. Saul. Avidan. Udiel."

Sighing heavily, Ziva grabbed the change of clothes her father appeared with and went to change. Khakis, fitted black tshirt, combat boots. In the bag, a headscarf and abaya, along with three separate handguns, ammo, and her knife. She stared at herself in the mirror as she twisted her hair back in a tight braid. She was right back to where she started.

* * *

"There are rumours. Scuttlebutt about Israeli politicians being abducted by ISIL." Vance said. He was standing in the bullpen, though speaking directly to Gibbs, McGee and Tony. "And Mossad isn't happy about it obviously. A team of four was sent in yesterday...three men and one woman."

"Ziva."

"Could be, we don't know and Eli isn't talking, but they had to have taken her for a reason. Ziva was Kidon back in Israel, I'm sure her father wouldn't waste her talent." Vance continued. "I'm going to keep talking to contacts throughout the Middle East and see what I can get."

"So far...they're still alive?" Tony asked softly, barely looking up from his desk.

"As far as we know, DiNozzo. Their last movements, three men and one woman."

Nodding, Tony picked up a pen and started to draw nonsensical drawings on the pad of paper in front of him.

"Go home. All of you." Vance said as he started back up the stairs to his office. "Tony, go see your kids. McGee, go get some sleep. Gibbs...do whatever you do at home."

Gibbs looked over at Tony and nodded. "Let's go, Tony." He said gently, walking over to the younger man. "We can take your kids out for a pizza and ice cream."

Standing up, Tony grabbed his wallet. His silence was unnerving to everyone in the bullpen, but no one as much as Gibbs. He knew the feeling that Tony was feeling, he knew what he was going through. Walking into the elevator, Gibbs waited a few seconds before hitting the emergency stop. Tony's shoulders sagged and Gibbs immediately wrapped his arms around the young man. "It's okay Tony. We're gonna find her."

Sobs. Heart tearing gut wrenching sobs. Tony collapsed in Gibbs's arms. "She can't be gone." He gasped. "We...we're just starting our lives together…"

Gibbs let him cry for a few moments before he gently smacked Tony on the back of his head. "Now that you've gotten that out, you need to be strong for your kids." He pulled back and gave Tony a soft look. "You can't do this in front of them. They need their Papa."

Exhaling loudly, Tony wiped his face. "Thanks boss."

Gibbs smiled. "You're welcome. Now let's go. I'm sure your kids are driving Jenny up the wall."

* * *

"Hello."

Jenny lowered her sunglasses and looked over to the let and spotted where the salutations came from. There was a woman, maybe about her age standing at the fence, her arms hanging over. Slowly, Jenny got to her feet and walked over. Jacob was busy jumping on the trampoline whereas Daniela was curled up silently on a chair, a book in her hands, earphones playing blaring music. The little boy was mostly oblivious to the turmoil in the family, Daniela understanding all too well.

"Hi." Jenny gave the woman a soft smile.

"We just moved in next door. I'm Trisha. Couldn't help but hear your kids. We've got three ourself, well, my husband does. I'm the bonus mother. They're adorable."

Jenny smiled. "Well, they're not mine, but I'm their defacto grandmother." She leaned on the fence and looked back at the kids. Jacob was trying to master a flip, landing on his butt each time. "But they are amazing," She finished. "I'm Jenny Shepard."

"Nice to meet you." Trisha said with a wide grin. "Anyway, the reason I came over here, my husband and I, we're planning on having a cookout tonight if y'all want to come. You can invite your husband...their parents."

Nodding, Jenny pulled out her phone. "I'll ask. Their Dad is here...their mother is…"

"She's at work." Daniela filled in softly. She pulled herself up on the fence and looked over. "In another country."

Trisha smiled softly at the girl. "Well why don't you ask your Daddy if you guys would like to come over for supper? We're going to make some fried chicken, potato salad, some green salad and pies and ice cream." Turning to Jenny, she smiled. "We're going to start eating around 6, but we're going to be around so just let me know." She stepped back and gave Daniela a small wave.

Jenny looked down at Daniela who hopped off the fence and leaned against her. "I think we should go." Daniela whispered. "That way Papa and Gibbs don't have to cook." She hugged Jenny's leg. "Can I call Papa?"

The older woman nodded. "Of course, then how about you and I make something for the BBQ?"

Daniela pulled out her iPod and sent an iMessage to Tony. _**Papa. New neighbours. They want to have a BBQ for us. Can we?**_

She waited for his reply. _**Okay. Sounds good. 3 you.**_

"Papa says it's fine." Daniela said putting her iPod back in her pocket. "So, what should we make? Mummy has some great recipes for buns."

Jenny kissed the top of Daniela's head and nodded. "That sounds great." She rubbed her back softly. "You know that your Mummy is going to try so hard to get back to you and Jacob. I know her, there is nothing more in the world that she wants than to be with her kids."

Sniffling, Daniela nodded softly, swallowing back the growing lump in her throat. "I just want her to come home." She whispered, her voice cracking. "I miss her lots."

"I know sweetheart, I know." They stood there for a few moments before Daniela pulled away.

"We should go inside and make buns." She said softly. "Maybe it will make Papa smile."

"Maybe." Jenny said softly.

* * *

"Only one." Gibbs said passing a small glass of bourbon over to Tony. "You can have one drink then we are going home and you are going to see your children. Do we need to order a pizza?"

"No. Apparently there is going to be a BBQ." Tony said flatly as she took a long swing of the bourbon. "Gibbs, I've never done anything harder than this." He said quietly. "I...I can't lose her."

Swallowing another finger of bourbon, Gibbs sighed. "Yeah, it is. But Ziva is coming back. Believe. You know that woman is gonna fight heaven and earth to get back to you, Tony. You've got Daniela and Jacob. Everytime you look at them, you'll see Ziva. She'll be back."

"How d'you know boss?" Tony mumbled.

"I just do. Now drink that and let's not keep those kids of yours waiting."


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you everyone for the reviews! They mean a lot. Here is the next chapter. It looks a bit more at Tony and the kids, and then the start of Ziva's mission/**

Covered in flour, Daniela placed another bun on a cookie sheet and covered it with a tea towel. She put on oven mitts and pulled out one of the trays and brushed melted butter over the top. Most weekends that Ziva wasn't working the two of them spent baking and Daniela had picked up on the finer points. The first bunch of buns split, and the bottoms were slightly burnt, but she made some adjustments and the next batch was much better. Both Jenny and Jacob agreed that they were great, Jenny staying close in case the girl needed her help.

Gibbs and Tony came home, Tony's eyes red and swollen, though nobody mentioned it. He knelt down and hugged Daniela until she whined about not being able to breathe, but the little girl held him just as tight. Jacob jumped into his arms and gave him an eskimo kiss.

"The buns smell great, Daniela." Gibbs commented as she sat down next to Jenny. He was walking on eggshells. They all were.

"Thank you. I found Mummy's recipe." She said softly, pulling up a stool to the island and sighed. "It is written all in Hebrew, but I rewrote it so Jenny could help." She smiled up at Jenny who looked over at Tony. His mouth was a tight straight line, the colour of his skin pale and sallow.

"They taste like Mummy's." Jacob said climbing up onto the stool and stealing another one. "We're gonna go to the BBQ."

"Yeah." Tony looked at Gibbs who raised his eyes in a silent challenge.

"Go take a shower before we go, Tony." The older man ordered. "We've got these buns under control, don't we Dani?" He asked standing up and poking the dough. "Well, maybe Jen's got it under control, but Jake and I will be the taste testers."

Nodding, Tony ruffled Daniela's curls and kissed Jacob's head as he headed upstairs. She was everywhere. Her shampoo was on the ledge, her perfume on the counter, her clothes in the closet. No matter what he did, he couldn't get away. Stripping off his clothes, Tony stepped into the shower, turning the spray as hot as he could handle. The needles of water rained down on his skin, the steam suffocating him. He emerged later, skin red and raw, and pulled on a pair of jeans and an OSU tshirt. He sat on the edge of their bed and stared at their room. Ziva had decorated it, of course. It was modern, clean lines and edges, greys with splashes of teal and purple. The grey was for him, his old place was almost fully grey. The colours, something she grew into. Walking over to her dresser, Tony pulled out a camisole and stared at it. No, no, he couldn't let himself fall into this trap. He took a deep breath and stood up, leaving Ziva's shirt on the bed. He headed downstairs and sat down on the couch.

Jacob crawled onto his lap, a book in hand. "Papa?" He asked softly. The little boy pulled out a book and handed it to Tony. "My dad finks he's funny." He said opening the book.

"Thinks." Tony said softly. He opened the book and pulled his son onto his lap and started to read. He wrapped his arms around Jacob and kissed his head as they read through the book. It was Jake's favouite book to read with Tony. He had gone with Ziva to pick it out. "My Daddy doesn't like to babysit." Jacob read haltingly. "He doesn't fink ANYONE should sit on babies."

Tony read the next part. "My Dad doesn't eat seafood. He thinks there's something fishy about it." They had read the book so many times, they both knew it off by heart, Tony could sign the book from when before Jacob could hear. Ziva read both kids lots of books, but this one, this was his.

They read through the book a couple of times before Tony looked over and Jacob was dozing in his arms. Yawning, he leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes.

* * *

The air was hot and dry, the sun beating down on them. Ziva adjusted the hijab around her neck and tugged at the abaya. They were deep within Syria, heading towards the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa. She fingered the weapon held under her abaya and nodded to her three men. Their intelligence was that the officers and politicians were being held in a compound on the outskirts of town. The only problem was the area was crawling with ISIS rebels. She lowered her head as they passed a group of young men. Out of the four of them, her Arabic was the strongest, but that didn't matter. ISIS had enough recruits from all over the world to detract from their weaknesses.

 _Where is her niqab?_ One of the men asked as they stopped. They waved their gun at her, then pointed to Avidan and Udiel. Saul stayed at her side.

 _In the house._ Saul replied sharply. _I am her brother, we are escorting her home._

 _Make sure she gets home. I don't want to whip a woman that beautiful._

Ziva's insides crawled, but she kept her eyes down as she allowed the three men to talk amongst themselves. Out of the other five men, she heard an Australian accent, Jordanian, American and Syrian.

 _We just got in from Turkey._ Avidan said slowly. _Where is headquarters around here?_

The Australian one, who introduced himself as AbuAzzam, started to explain where their camp was set up. They had a house on the outskirts that would allow them time to study intel.

Nodding, Ziva started shuffling towards their safehouse as the five Islamists walked off the other way. She made a face as they walked into the small house. From the outside it was bare, but inside it had a small generator, three separate rooms, a washroom with a shower, and a small kitchen. Throwing her bag in the corner, Ziva grabbed the largest room and sat down on the bed, unpacking her GPS phone and her laptop.

They were in the heart of ISIS territory, and as a woman she was the most at risk and she knew it. Pulling off her hijab, she let her curls free and sat against the wall of the hut. She didn't bring any pictures of Tony and the children in case the mission went awry. She couldn't have them compromised in any way. It was still early in the day in Syria, which mean that it was supper time in the US. She sighed and pulled her knees up to her chest. They had intelligence to cover, but right now she needed time to herself. After a few minutes of collecting herself, Ziva unbutton the loose abaya she wore and walked out of her room and sat down at the main table and started to scour over information with the other three men, no words exchanged.

* * *

"Mummy is at work." Daniela said softly as she bit into the homemade fried chicken Trisha provided. "But Papa and Gibbs, they said she's gonna come back." She looked over at Tony who was standing by the BBQ. "But Papa is worried." She said quietly. Jenny leaned down and kissed her head.

"Why don't you go help your brother?" She suggested suggested softly.

Daniela looked around at the table of adults and nodded. She hopped off the table and went over and sat with her brother.

Jenny gave Trisha a soft look after glancing back at Gibbs who was rubbing her back absently. "We're federal agents." Jenny said softly. "Jethro, Tony and myself. And Tony's wife, Ziva. We're all agents for NCIS - Navy Criminal Investigative Service."

"Ziva's on a mission." Gibbs said brusquely. He stood up, but not before squeezing Jenny's hand softly. He walked over to the BBQ and sipped his beer in silence.

Trisha cut open a bun and silently put some butter on it. The woman was warm, inviting, her southern accent as thick as molasses. "If y'all need help, let me know." She said softly, her eyes watching Daniela and Jacob. "We're more than willing to help."

Nodding, Jenny picked at her food. She had another round of chemo at the end of the week and with the new revelations of Ziva's mission, she wanted to desperately reschedule it.

Tony walked over with a plate of food and sat down in the grass with his kids. Jacob crawled onto his lap and kept eating. They were their own little unit. The world revolved around them, though they hardly noticed. Daniela cuddled to Tony's side as she ate. Tony held his daughter close, his chin brushing the top of his son's head. He couldn't bear to be without them. Their kingsized bed was now a pow wow centre. Both children staked claim to one corner, and their nights were spent with movies and stories. If he had the ability to homeschool the kids, he would've. A perfectly imperfect trio sat in a comfortable silence, punctuated by a giggle, or a sigh.

The blonde turned to Jenny. "Let us help." She said softly. Motioning to Jenny's scarf that was wrapped tightly around her head. "I don't want you to do this on your own." It wasn't a request. Jenny nodded. "I'll talk to Jethro and Tony." She said taking a sip of her gingerale as she watched Tony clean up the plates of his children and place them in the trash.

"Thank you for dinner." Daniela said, shaking the hand of Trisha's husband and then giving Trisha a soft hug. Jacob hung on Tony's hip and nodded. "Fanks. It was good." He said resting his head on his Dad's shoulder.

"I'm gonna get these goobers to bed." Tony said shaking hands and giving Gibbs a nod. "See you at work tomorrow boss."

* * *

Her feet walked across the dirt road, kicking up clouds of dust. The niqab was stifling, cutting off her peripheral vision. The black material sucked in the heat, turning the abaya, hijab and veil into an oven. Sweat ran down her body and soaked through her tank top and into her cotton shorts. She heard cries and laughs ahead and she kept her head down. Saul walked in silence along with her. His facial hair was grown out long, and she was glad that he was darker skinned than the other two. They stayed back in the house, trying to track their movements and get more intel. Ziva avoided all eye contact, playing the role of the good submissive wife.

The noise got louder as they walked and they entered the city square. People were surrounding the square, yelling and shaking their fists. Ziva looked and spotted men with guns standing on the outside of the group, their eyes darting back and forth, anger and distrust seeping from their pores.

 _What's going on?_ Ziva asked the nearest woman who was also dressed head to toe in black.

 _Execution._ The woman replied standing on her tiptoes to see. _An infidel._

Ziva's head snapped up and she strained to see. Finally she grabbed Saul's hand and led him through the crowd until they were close enough to see what was going on. A man, in an orange jumpsuit knelt in front of the crowd. He wasn't one of their targets, but a Kurd, or the like. Ziva shuddered as she saw a young boy, maybe a year or two older than Daniela approach wearing military fatigues, a pistol in his hands. Bile rose in her throat as she heard cries rise from the street. She stood frozen as the young boy cocked the pistol and held it against the back of the man's head. Saul held her arm and started to pull her away, but her feet were rooted heavily to the ground.

 _Allau Akbar!_ The crowd screamed. She felt the intensity rise, and the boy pulled the trigger on the gun.

Ziva had seen people die before, hell, some of them had been at her own hand. But this, this was different. The young boy raised his arms in victory, his blue eyes dead and cold. Turning, Ziva lowered her eyes while the crowd cheered.

 _Everyday!_ A man beside her cheered. _They will be doing this every day. Killing the infidels. The Cubs of the Caliphate are our future._

Pushing her way out of the crowd, Ziva bent forward and retched into the sand. After a few moments a hand was on her back. Looking up she saw an older woman with a bottle of water in her hands.

 _Drink._ She ordered in Arabic.

Ziva took a few tentative sips before handing the bottle back. _Thank you._ She mumbled softly.

 _It takes some getting used to...or you just never do._ The woman sighed. Reaching out, she tugged on Ziva's sleeve and pulled her away from the crowd. _Not all of us are ISIS supporters, but if you want to survive you do what they say._ The woman watched Ziva. _Tomorrow. Meet me at the pastry shop the third block to the East from the square. Make sure your husband walks you there. After Duhr prayer._

Ziva nodded and spotted Saul. He was talking to a group of men, all carrying rifles. She knew that he was doing his job, but the looks they shot her way made her skin crawl. After a few minutes he walked over and they walked back.

"The hostages are here." He whispered as they left the group, walking back down the dusty road. "They were talking about having a mass beheading to get rid of the Jewish scum." He walked alongside Ziva. "We have a couple of weeks. They want to get through the Kurds and the American hostages first." He said dryly.

They walked down the road, but Ziva couldn't seem to shake the image of the young boy holding the gun, the river of blood flowing from the Kurd's forehead, the cries of victory from the boy.

"Send Avidan and Udeil into town." She said stiffly. "Talk to the Immans during prayer. You must go too, Saul." She said quietly. "Jummah. Women aren't welcome." Ziva said as they walked into the house. Tearing off her veil and headscarf, Ziva sat down on the char and placed her head in her hands. "Let us keep finding intel." She said softly. "The sooner we find them, the sooner we leave."


	4. Chapter 4

_**Sorry for the HUGE delay. My dad had open heart surgery so I became full time caretaker along with my job...and then my best friend's dad had the same surgery and passed away - so I had to deal with that. But Here's the next chapter! I hope everyone enjoys!**_

The sound of his two children breathing heavily filled the warm night air. Tony silently rolled out of bed and tiptoed out of the room. Both Daniela and Jacob had started sleeping in the bed with him, and he wasn't going to complain. Shutting the door behind him, he padded over to the fridge and grabbed a beer and sat down on the couch in front of his laptop. Abby and McGee were working on tracking Ziva's location - but so was he. He stared at the jumpy footage from the footage in Aruba. Tony had watched it so often, he knew each move by heart.

"Ziva, just come back." He whispered, closing his eyes. He sat in front of the computer, reading through files and intel until his eyes burned and tears leaked from his eyes from exhaustion. Crawling back to bed, he watched Daniela and Jacob sleep. The girl flinched in her sleep and Tony knew what was coming. He gently reached out and rubbed her back silently as she moved in her sleep, finally calming down. Tony laid back on the pillows he had piled and closed his eyes. He wasn't sure if he was going to sleep, to be honest he could count the hours of sleep he had gotten lately on two hands. He dozed off as the sun began to breech over the horizon, the small broken family slept fitfully tangled in sheets and their own nightmares.

* * *

The sand stuck to everything. It was in her hair, dragged across her skin, stuck to her eyes, wedged down her throat. The niqab did nothing to help the situation, cutting off her peripheral vision, making her feel stifled and suffocated. Ziva walked down the dusty street, following the three men. The call to prayer sounded in front of them and they walked toward the sound. She followed behind silently, like a shadow. It was expected in this society, women to be not only not seen, but not heard. She nodded silently at them and headed to the mosque, following a large group of men. She split off, heading towards the pastry shop down the street. Her eyes were kept downcast as she walked, her sandaled feet kicking up clouds of dust. Waiting until the end of Duhr prayer, she slipped into the pastry shop and looked around.

The small group of women caught her eye and she walked towards them. Her dark eyes searched the surroundings before one of the women nodded and the group rose and headed for a back room. Once there, they sat on hard chairs and benches, each woman slowly untying their veils.

"Rabbia."

"Amina."

"Warda."

"Zainab."

"Maryam."

Ziva nodded at each name, trying to memorize each.

"Aisha." Ziva said softly. "My name is Aisha." She slowly undid her veil and fisted it in her hand. The women were all different ages, and Ziva could tell from their accents that they were from all over. A Libyan. A native Syrian. A Moroccan. A Tunisian. She kept her eyes downcast, unsure why they were meeting.

The oldest of the women, Rabbia, spoke first. "Why are you here, Amina? Did your husband bring you to join ISIS?"

Ziva played the material of her veil, playing up the young naive wife. "His brothers. My husband wanted to make sure that they would be okay." She sighed heavily.

"You are lucky you have a husband." One of the women stated. Ziva kept her eyes downcast, staring at her hands. "No husband, bad things."

"Things here, they are getting bad for everyone."

Ziva glanced up and met the eyes of the women around the table.

"More kidnapping, public executions...and the cubs of the caliphate. Raqqa used to be beautiful. Now…"

There was a collective silence that hung around them.

"There is too much blood. Blood in the streets. ISIS...they say they have come to help. Free us from Al-Assad...but they have brought much death to Raqqa." Warda said wringing her hands. "They took my brother, took my son. We just want peace."

Ziva nodded and swallowed hard. "Peace is what we all want." She listened to the stories that were being told, interjecting when she could.

"Where are your children, dear?" Rabbia asked, as the conversation seemed to break off into smaller facets.

A flash of surprise crossed Ziva's face before the stoic training took over.

Rabbia laughed, and shook her head. "You float away when people mention children, so I made a jump."

Ziva shrugged. "They are staying with their grandparents." She said softly. "I will go back for them."

"Yes, you will. We will all be free from ISIS." Rabbia said giving Ziva a wide smile. "Be thankful your children are not here. I would not wish them to become cubs of the caliphate." Rabbia sipped the strong tea and looked at Ziva over the cup. "Executions are becoming an everyday occurrence." She reached up and adjusted Ziva's hijab. "Make sure that you stay covered." Rabbia said softly. "ISIS, they will find any reason to give punishments."

Nodding, Ziva tucked her hair tightly under the black scarf and tightened it around her chin.

"Who are they executing?" Ziva asked, folding her veil and placing it on the lap of her abaya covered lap.

"Everyone that they feel is against the movement. They have some Kurds they captured, some Yazadi men...the girls and women are sold off as sex slaves."

Swallowing hard, Ziva nodded. Of course everyone in the west had heard about the atrocities that were being carried out by ISIS but it was far different hearing about it from someone who was living it.

"They said they have captured others…" Rabbia shrugged. "But they say a lot of things."

The chatter slowed and footsteps could be heard outside. "Maybe we will see you later, Aisha." One of the women said as she stood up and tied her veil. Ziva followed and waited for the group to exit and she followed behind. The shops were reopening, and Ziva searched around and found Saul. Walking up to him, she placed her hand on his arm, but a sharp slap caused her to pull back.

" _He is speaking, woman."_ A male voice spat at her. He turned to Saul. " _Learn to better control your woman."_

The slap stung, but the hatred and embarrassment even moreso. Stumbling away, Ziva walked the opposite way from where their safehouse was. She had to get out of this Godforsaken place. Weaving through the streets, she stopped looked around. Her training kicked in as she scanned the streets, if you could call them that. The buildings were torn apart from bomb blasts, the smell of gasoline, natural gas and rancid meat hung heavy in the air. Ziva slowed her footsteps, her eyes darting through the rubble.

" _What are you doing here?"_

Ziva stopped and turned, spotting three men all heavily armed standing in front of her. She blinked a few times, for once thankful for the veil that covered her face. " _I am...lost."_ She mumbled in soft Arabic, keeping her eyes downcast. " _We are new to Raqqa, my husband sent me to get supplies and I took the wrong turn."_ She felt a strong hand grab her hair and pull her back.

" _Tell your HUSBAND that he should not allow you to walk alone. If we were...less pious men…"_

Ziva swallowed hard and nodded meekly. She turned to walk away when she felt the man's hand on her breast over her abaya. Trying to pull away, she felt his hot breath in her ear. He pushed against her, his hand roughly squeezing her breast. She twisted away, fighting the urge to toss him onto his ass. Without another word, she started to quickly walk away.

* * *

"Missing Navy lieutenant. Gear up."

Tony stood up automatically and tossed his bag his shoulder. His green eyes were dull, rimmed with red the bags heavy under his eyes. He walked quickly behind Gibbs and McGee, sliding into the elevator. He was running on autopilot.

The camera clicked as Tony walked around the proposed crime scene. He sketched it out, his eyebrows rising to a question that McGee asked and shrugged his shoulders in response to Gibbs. The title of functional mute on the team was no longer awarded to Gibbs.

McGee sat in Abby's lab as she combed through evidence His fingers tapped the keys as he searched through intel reports from the Middle East.

"Are you okay, Timmy?" Abby asked softly as she watched the young agent work. He shrugged and looked over at her.

"I'm scared, Abbs." He said softly. "Tony...we're going to lose him too if we can't find Ziva. I mean, I'm terrified for Ziva, but…" Tim's voice trailed off and he ran his fingers through his hair. "I can see Tony slip away bit by bit."

The forensic scientist nodded softly and wrapped her arms around Tim's neck. "How about we go over there tonight? It's Friday and the case is wrapped up...we can give Gibbs and Jenny the night off and we can watch a movie...and you and Tony can just talk."

McGee nodded. "Okay. Just let me finish coming through this intel report." He said with a sigh. "We have eyes and ears in and around Raqqa. I doubt they got that far into Syria, but it never hurts to double check…"

Nodding, Abby started to close things down in the lab. McGee frowned at some of the intel, a woman and three men, internationals were in Raqqa. They all spoke Arabic, their accents untraceable. He made a few notes, along with a note to send them to the director before standing up.

"Ready?"

Abby smiled and gave Tim a soft kiss on the cheek. "Ready. Let's pick up some food before we go. I know pasta is the food of Tony's people, but I'm sure the kids are sick of it by now."

They got ready and drove towards the grocery store and picked up some groceries before heading to Tony and Ziva's place. They pulled into the parking lot and headed up the driveway. McGee knocked on the front door and after a few seconds Tony opened it. He looked at his friends and then at the arms of groceries.

"Hey." He said gravelly.

Pushing through him, Abby kicked off her shoes. "We're going to cook. Well I am, Timmy is going to help." She started as she carried in armfuls of groceries. "I'll make chicken, like chicken fingers but healthy And potatoes. And carrots and salad."

Tony stood in the doorway and watched as the goth rushed into the kitchen. He looked at McGee who gave him a sympathetic look. "How are you doing, Tony?"

The older man shrugged and shut the door behind them. He heard the thundering footsteps of his children coming down the stairs. "I'm okay, Tim." Tony said softly.

They walked into the family room where Tony had his laptop open and he had files spread out over the coffee table. He walked over and closed them, giving McGee a gentle look. The sounds of Daniela and Jacob's laughter, mixing with Abby's flowed into the room.

"You know she's going to come back." McGee said softly. "She's ZIVA. She's a ninja. She loves you and she love Jacob and Daniela...she's going to be back."

Tony sat down on the couch and ran his fingers through his hair. "How can you be so sure? No one has found a trace of her since she left…"

Sitting down beside Tony, McGee gave his best friend a pat on the knee. "I'm sorry, Tony." He said softly. "But you can't give up. We're all looking for her...you have to be here for Daniela and Jacob. I'm….concerned for you Tony." He said softly. The younger man took a deep breath. "You can't stop living because she's gone. She's going to be back and the kids need a parent."

Tony sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I know Tim." He leaned back against the couch and closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of his children. His best friend let him sit in silence and hopefully he could catch a few uninterrupted moments of sleep


	5. Chapter 5

The hot air flooded her small room. The rock walls did nothing to keep the heat out. Ziva brushed her sweaty and uncontrollable curls away off her face. She hated this place. What she really wanted to do or needed to do rather, was go for a run or hit the gym. But those were not happening in the centre of this proverbial hell hole. Twisting her her hair up off her neck, she pulled on a pair of loose IDF issue cargo pants, a sports bra, a tank top and a long sleeved button down shirt. She walked into the kitchen and made a cup of tea, letting it sit and steep for longer than it probably should have wanting the bitter liquid to be as strong as possible. It was quiet. They were on the outskirts of Raqqa, the house was as close to dilapidated as possible with still being usable. Sipping the bitter liquid she frowned The silence. She knew that the three men had left for prayer. It was easier for a woman to stay back in this society. They had been up all night pouring over the intel files. They had plans - two nights - before there was a mass execution of more Kurdish fighters. They had been in Syria for almost three weeks now. She was so ready to go go home and kiss her husband and hold her children.

She chewed on the bread they bought from the market along with the fatty goat cheese. It was one of their most calorie rich meals of the day. The silence was almost overwhelming until her trained ear picked up on the slightest sound. A breath. It was heavy, deep. She spun around, her eye catching the smallest movement. Her hand flew to her hip, her knife always concealed at her belt. But it wouldn't help. The sound of multiple footsteps surrounded her. They weren't going to kill her, no. They needed her. She fought hard, her knife slicing through layers of clothing and into hard flesh. The bullet ripped through her senses before her flesh. A dirty rag stuffed in her mouth, a bag thrown over her head. She was dragged across the floor, her flesh tearing as it hit rocks and she was pulled over.

* * *

Tony knew it was going to be a bad day. By 10 am he had already gotten a phonecall from the school that Daniela had been placed in "in school suspension" for her disrespectful actions in class. He picked her up after school, and against his best laid plans, met with the team and went to her basketball game. Jacob played with his lego with McGee as the team warmed up.

"Any news?" He asked Gibbs who shrugged.

"Chatter. We have a few people on it now. Vance's gone to Israel, and it ain't just to talk security." The older man said, his eyes narrowing as he watched the teams warm up. Daniela was off. Her hair was pulled back in a harsh braid, her movements stiff. He watched as her eyes darted around, throwing her shoulders back. She tossed her basketball in the rolling bin and walked over to the benches. Sitting down she retied her shoes and stared silently at the coach. At the sound of the whistle, Daniela popped up and headed out to her position. Gibbs stiffened, watching her drive to the basket with a reckless abandon. "She's gonna get hurt." He grumbled watching her tumble to the floor.

"Or hurt someone." Jenny added in weakly.

The dark cloud that hung over Daniela seemed to get heavier each day, the circles under her eyes darker. The little girl walked with a permanent slouch, the weight of the world on her slim shoulders.

With the ball in her hands, she dribbled it up the court and went in for a lay up. The girl in front of her put her arms up to block and Daniela came down. Hard. Tony jumped up as he spotted Daniela's head through the meyley. The referees separated the two of them, Daniela with blood running down her face. Taking the steps two by two, Tony sped down and helped his daughter off the court. She grabbed the wad of tissues and pressed them to her nose.

"Hey, Tiger." He whispered softly. "Sit down and let's take a look at your nose."

The small girl put up little resistance and lifted her head up. She winced as he poked and prodded and replaced the now sodden tissues.

"We'll take you to the hospital to get it looked at." He said softly.

Defeated, Daniela stood up and watched as Abby gathered her bags. Tony gently ushered his daughter out as McGee carried Jacob on his hip. Gibbs wrapped his arm around Jenny as they walked around the gym and helped Daniela into the car. He nodded at McGee who placed the small boy beside her in his booster seat.

"We'll meet you there." Gibbs said as McGee climbed into the front of Tony's SUV and Abby climbed into the back, her fingers replacing Dani's on the bridge of her nose.

They drove in silence, though the anger rolled off the small girl in waves. Once they approached the hospital, Abby led Daniela in and straight into the exam room. A young ER doctor appeared. She poked gently and prodded as Tony paced around the room. Tears welled up in Daniela's eyes as the doctor pressed a little too hard and she tugged her head back. "Ouch." She whispered. The doctor made a few notes and waved a small penlight in Daniela's eyes. She blinked furiously as her eyes watered. She tried to pull away from the light and reached for Tony who sat down beside her, cuddling her against him.

"I don't think it's broken." The doctor finally concluded. "But I'd say she has a grade 2 concussion." She scribbled a few things down on her chart and looked back at Daniela. "Are you feeling sick?"

The little girl tried to shrug, but she paled and swallowed hard. "I feel gross."

The doctor nodded empathetically and ran her hand gently over Daniela's head and gently fingered a bump. "Got a big goose egg there." She wrote a script and turned to Tony. "Keep checking on her. I'm going to give her some strong tylenol, but she's going to be hurting for the next few days, maybe even a week. If it's 10 days or longer come back and see me and we'll do more tests."

Standing up, Tony gently lifted Daniela into his arms and pressed a kiss on the top of her head. "It will be okay." He whispered into her hair. Emotionally exhausted, he walked out of the examination room and nodded at the people around him. They were all tired.

Back in the house, Daniela was sleeping fitfully on the couch, Jacob in his room. McGee and Abby were hunched over their laptops, humming thoughtfully as they read through some of the intel reports. Gibbs and Jenny sat on the couch, going over the maps printed off in MTAC. And Tony. He was going between the intel reports, the map, and his daughter. The silence was suffocating until the loud shrill of Gibb's cell phone broke the silence.

"Four Israeli agents were kidnapped in Syria." Vance said roughly. "Three men, one woman. I've got coordinates and our people in Turkey are going to look."

Gibbs shut his phone with a loud click and turned and looked at his team. "Four Israeli agents were kidnapped. Three men and…"

"One woman." Tony finished collapsing on the couch. Daniela groaned softly, but didn't wake up. "So when are we going in?" Tony asked seriously.

"DiNozzo." Gibbs started softly, his blue eyes meeting the green ones of his senior field agent.

"That wasn't really a question, boss." Tony replied crossing his arms across his chest. "We'll let the CIA figure out where they are exactly and we'll go in."

His voice left no room for arguments.

* * *

Her body ached as she hung from the ceiling, wires binding her wrists together, chains holding her taught. She could touch the floor with the balls of her feet, but not her heels. Her shoulders ached as she hung there, her joints screaming. She wasn't exactly sure where she was. A house of some kind, probably. A small room room without windows, the stale stifling air hanging in thick heavy curtains around her. And she hung. In pain and silence. The sweat ran down her body in thin rivers, catching a newly created cut, sweat burning as it made its way down.

 _Are you ready to talk?_

There was more than just him. She counted at least 5, judging by their voices. But there could be more.

 _Why are you here? What does Mossad want?_

When she didn't answer, he lifted his hand, flourishing an electric cattle prod, and pressed it against her side. She jolted away, but kept her mouth closed.

 _Why are you here?_ He repeated, turning her on the chains so he could stare at her.

Her voice stayed silent.

With a callous shrug, he slowly undid her cargo pants and let them fall to the floor. He smirked and ran his hands down and between her legs before pressing the cattle prod at the apex between her thighs. She bit down on her lip and swallowed her scream as she arched away. Sweat beaded on her forehead and ran down her face. He relented after a few minutes and gave her a sick smile.

 _You will tell us. Eventually._

As quickly as he came, he left. He left her panting, sweat running down her body as she tried to catch her breath. She wasn't sure how long she was hanging there, but the rough wooden door flew open and her arms were unhooked. He was young, eyes framed with long lashes. He nodded at her and tossed an old blanket at her. He left in a shy silence, shutting the door behind him. It closed with a final click and the sound of the key in the lock framed it's finality. But it could have been worse. She knew it was going to be worse. Curling in a corner, she pulled the blanket around her and closed her eyes. She rubbed her wrists idly and sighed. She could beat this. She was strong. Her breathing hitched as she blinked quickly trying to stop the tears that were threatening to overflow.

It could have been minutes or hours, she couldn't tell without windows. His rough hand weaved in her thick curls and pulled her to her feet. Her head hit the side of the stone wall. Her eyes crossed momentarily and she blinked heavily.

 _TALK._ He hissed in her ear. _WHY ARE YOU HERE?_

Ziva slammed her mouth shut momentarily and glared as best she could.

 _What is Mossad doing here? Your friends are talking._

In Mossad they teach you to withstand torture. She kept her eyes hard, her face unreadable.

 _We will kill your family. Your mother. Your father._

Ziva stared back at him impassively.

 _Your husband._ His eyes looked her up and down. _Children._

His voice sent shivers up her spine and she tried to swallow hard. The slightest flicker of fear appeared in her eyes.

 _We will kill your husband...then at his funeral we will kill the rest of your family._

Grabbing her by her hair, he dragged her up and reattached her wrists to the chains on the ceiling. The sounds of a whip cutting through the air was heard, the crack of it hitting flesh echoed through the mostly abandoned neighbourhood. A woman's scream pierced the silence as it was repeated over and over and over again...


	6. Chapter 6

_**Sooo...this has been sitting on google docs FOREVER and I couldn't seem to work out an ending. At all. So I left it like this. It would go on forever if I wanted to tie the chapter up in nice pretty bows. But no, so it's kind of messy like this. Thank you for all your support and reviews and questions and words of advice! I love hearing from you so never hesitate!**_

It had been a week since they had first heard the chatter. A week and then nothing. The chatter ended as quickly as it began. Tim sat hunched over his computer scouring every end of the internet for _**anything.**_ And all he got was silence. Mossad silence. CIA silence. FBI silence. Dead silence. Running his fingers through his hair, Tim looked away from his screen and sighed heavily. One week. Glancing over at Abby who was dozing on the couch. Their lives had boiled down to going to work, bringing work home and making sure that Tony and the kids were alright and so far they were batting 0.00 on all accounts. He closed his laptop and glanced over as he saw a flash of green. Daniela froze and stared at him. "'M just getting water." She whispered softly.

Tim nodded silently and watched as she opened the fridge and poured herself a glass of water. She hadn't been sleeping, he and Abby both knew it. She could only blame the concussion for so much. "How are you doing?" He asked as she sat down on the edge of the couch.

"Have you found Mummy?" She asked softly, tucking her feet underneath her.

"No, but we're all working really hard." Tim said quietly. He inched towards the cerulean eyed girl and gently placed his hand on her knee. "I promise you that we are doing everything in our power to find her."

She sipped her water silently and stared down at her hands for a long time before looking back at Tim. "If Mummy is dead...when do we start sitting Shiva?" She asked softly.

Tim swallowed hard and rubbed his eyes.

" _Barukh atah Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha'olam, dayan ha-emet."_ Daniela mumbled softly before getting up. "I will see you in the morning, McGee." She said quietly as she walked back to her room. The glow under the door stayed on until the wee hours of the morning. It took Tim a few hours before he realized that Daniela whispered a Hebrew prayer for the dead.

* * *

Pain. Flashing of white pain. Ziva tried to blink, but her eyelids were swollen shut. She tasted blood in her mouth, her tongue gently running across her teeth. The hanging had stopped, mainly because she couldn't run away anymore. After her futile attempt at escape, they used steel pipes over the bottom of her feet to ensure she couldn't try again.

She couldn't tell time, but she knew they came more often at night. Sometimes it was one at a time, the most was six. If it had been earlier, if it had been a few years ago, if she had been younger she knew the easiest way out of this situation. But not now. Not knowing that Tony, Daniela and Jacob were all at home waiting for her.

Sometimes the pain was unbearable. It was like they were tearing her apart. Their voices were harsh and patronizing. Leaning against the side of the wall she felt herself slip back into unconsciousness.

* * *

"Gibbs and Jenny won't be coming." Abby said as she closed her phone. "Chemo was pretty rough on her today."

Tony nodded silently and picked up Jacob who was playing on the floor with his Lego. He pressed a kiss to his son's soft hair and rubbed his back gently.

"We've got penne with sausage and peppers." Tim said with a flourish he didn't feel. "And we even have cake for dessert."

Jacob grinned and pocketed a few Lego pieces. "Imma go get Daniela." He announced getting up and rushing over towards her room. He opened it and peered around before walking back out. "Papa?" He asked quietly. "Daniela's not in 'er room."

"What?" Tony got to his feet and ran over, throwing the door open. The curtains were flapping in the wind, her backpack, iPad and shoes missing.

* * *

Sometimes genetics have nothing to do with how a child grew up. Gibbs had been in the basement for about 40 minutes when he heard the basement door creak open. He was about to tell Jenny to head back to bed and he would bring her whatever she needed when he heard the footsteps. They were almost silent, but he felt a presence in the room.

"Daniela." He said quietly without looking up.

The little girl padded down until the bottom step where she sat down and watched him sand the boat for a few minutes.

Gibbs remembered the times Ziva did the same thing, her silent footsteps down his wooden stairs, sitting at the bottom step watching his movements. Damn ninja skills.

"Does Tony know where you are?"

She silently cocked an eyebrow and shook her head.

Walking over to his workbench, Gibbs grabbed his cellphone and threw it to her. "Call him. He's probably going nuts."

Daniela picked up the phone and punched in her number. "Papa." She said softly into the phone. "Mmm hmmm. I'm fine. I'm with Gibbs. Kay." She passed the phone back to Gibbs. "He wants to talk to you."

The older man sighed and put the phone to his ear. "Yeah, DiNozzo."

"I'm coming to get her." Tony said quickly. "I don't know what I'm going to do with her, I mean she just decides that she wants to run away and after that fight on the basketball court, Boss, I can barely get her to eat anything or to sleep, hell she says less than 10 words to me a day…" He rambled barely taking a breath.

"Give her space, DiNozzo." Gibbs said watching the girl who had gotten up and was walking around the boat, gingerly running her finger over it the wood. "I'll call you when she's ready." Hanging up, Gibbs stayed silent until Daniela made her lap around the boat. She sat on the stool of the workbench and swung her feet silently.

"Is Papa mad?" She whispered staring at her hands.

"Well, he's not happy that you ran away."

"Didn't run 'way." She muttered. "I took the bus. I didn't wanna get Papa mad." Daniela swallowed hard and looked up at Gibbs. "Have you found Mummy yet?"

Sitting down beside Daniela, Gibbs took her hand. "No. We haven't." He told her honestly. "But we're still looking. We're always looking."

The little girl opened her backpack and pulled out her iPad. "I've been trying ta find Mummy." She said quietly. Opening a social media website, Daniela punched in a few things and handed it to Gibbs. "There are some girls that live in Syria and they use Tumblr. It's a place where people blog. Like write things about their lives." Daniela explained. "They're part of ISIS." She passed it over to Gibbs. "They don't say anything about Mummy, but...they're in Syria." Tears welled up in her eyes. "Maybe they can help."

Wrapping his arm around the girl, Gibbs pressed his lips to her wild curls. "I'll give it to Abby and McGee." He said softly. Daniela curled into his side and he soon felt her hot tears soaking into his shirt. After a few minutes she pulled away and hiccuped softly. "Why don't you go upstairs and lie down with Jenny?"

Daniela rubbed her eyes and shook her head. "No. I don't wanna wake Jenny up."

"When was the last time you slept?"

"I am fine."

Like mother, like daughter. Gibbs sighed and helped the girl off the stool. "March kiddo. You're gonna lie down with Jenny and I'll call DiNozzo."

Daniela silently started to walk upstairs, Gibbs behind her. She left her backpack by the front door and made her way to where Jenny was sleeping. Toeing off her shoes, Daniela crawled in beside the former director. "It's okay Jenny, it's just me." She whispered closing her eyes and snuggling in tight.

The former director hummed softly but didn't open her eyes. The chemo was especially hard today.

"I'll take care of you Jenny." Daniela whispered as Gibbs pulled the door until it was only open a crack.

Gibbs walked down the hallway and down the stairs to the basement. He grabbed the cellphone and informed DiNozzo that Daniela was spending the night. Closing the phone, he grabbed a mason jar and dumped out the fistful of nails and poured three fingers worth of bourbon into it. He swallowed it in a matter of a few gulps before leaning back against his boat. "Damn it, Ziver...where are you?" He muttered to himself.

He must've fallen asleep on the couch after he finished his second glass of bourbon. The glaring light of the refrigerator light startled him awake and he found himself staring at an 8 year old girl in his oversized NIS shirt and a pair of Shannon's old sweats that were rolled up at the waist.

"Sorry." She whispered shutting the door and silently walking over and perching on the edge of the chair like a little bird. It was hard to notice how small she was. She had a slight build, with narrow shoulders and long legs. Tiny little arms and legs. Blue eyes that bore into your soul. Dark curls usually pulled back in a severe ponytail or braids. And a smile that could light up a room, though it was rarely seen. The little girl tucked her feet under her legs and she sipped her water silently.

"You should go back to bed after you finish your water."

Daniela shrugged. "Prolly won't sleep." She admitted.

Gibbs watched the girl finish her water and lean down against the couch. "How long?"

Shrugging, Daniela blinked slowly. "How long since Mummy's been gone?" She asked softly.

The silence hung heavy in the air until Daniela pulled herself up from the couch and padded off to the washroom. As she was washing up, she spotted a razor on the edge of the sink. Silently she opened the medicine cabinet and spotted a package of more. She eased one out of the package and into the pocket of the pants. Just as silently, she padded back to the family room and curled up on the couch. She stared into the darkness until she fell into a restless sleep. Gibbs watched her sleep and went and pulled a blanket over her small body. He settled on the armchair beside her and let her sleep. She was gone when he woke up a few hours later. "Ziver must be givin' her damn ninja lessons." He grumbled pulling himself up off the chair.

Daniela was sitting in bed, rubbing Jenny's arm as she read to her softly. The ex-director was propped up, her blue eyes closed. In another lifetime he hoped that Kelly and Daniela would've been friends. Kelly was much softer, quieter than the Israeli girl. Sheltered. But they had so many things in common. They were both kind and generous. Soft-spoken with a laughter that broke all walls, though he rarely heard the dark haired girl laugh. They were smart, athletic...in another lifetime they would've been friends. When Daniela glanced up at him, he gave her a weak smile in return.

"We're okay. Maybe Jenny would like some gingerale, yes?" She asked Jenny who nodded slowly.

Gibbs walked over and kissed each of their heads before heading downstairs to gather the mentioned drink. A few hours later, when it was a more appropriate hour, he called DiNozzo to come over and pick up Daniela. When his senior field agent arrived, her grabbed the younger man and led him down to the basement.

"Your wife was teaching your daughter her damn ninja tricks." Gibbs muttered sitting Tony down on the sawhorse. "She hasn't been sleepin'." He said softy. "She was up at least twice here, God knows how much she's been up at your place." Gibbs shook his head. "Didn't even hear her until she opened the fridge." He let the silence hang while he ran his hand down the sanded area of his boat. "DiNozzo, I'm not gonna tell you what to do. I know finding Ziva is your main concern right now...but maybe you should let us worry about it for a bit, and you do something with the kids. Like the zoo. You gotta get out."

Staring at the older man, Tony exhaled loudly. "M..Maybe just for a day."

Gibbs nodded. "That's all I'm sayin'. Now go get your ninja daughter. She scared the hell outta me when I woke up and she was at the fridge. Might hafta start locking my door."

* * *

Daniela sat in the back of the Charger like a suspect ready to go to the police precinct. Tony was speaking with Gibbs and Jenny, the later of the two bundled up in a heavy robe leaning on the other. When Tony finally slid into the car, she stared out the window in silence.

"Why did you run away, Daniela?" Tony asked as they pulled away from the curb.

"Didn't. Took the bus." She retorted quietly. "I hadda talk to Gibbs." Rubbing her eyes, she sighed and stared out the window again.

"Tomorrow, you, me and Jake, we'll go out and do something fun. Maybe go watersliding and order pizza." He offered. Her silence was unnerving.

The little girl shrugged. "I gave Gibbs some stuff to maybe help find Mummy. Can we make sure that McGee and Abby get it?" She asked softly, chewing on the fleshing part of her hand between her thumb and index finger.

Sighing, Tony drove back home and informed Abby and McGee of his plans for tomorrow. Daniela picked at her fingernails until her cuticles bled as she paced behind McGee and Abby.

Abby finally got to her feet and wrapped the small girl in her arms and just held her. Her heart beat rapidly, like a terrified animal, and Abby wondered if this was the state that the poor child was in constantly. "It's going to be okay, Daniela." She whispered. Slowly, Daniela wrapped her arms around Abby. Sure, she had cried. Well, more she had teared up and the tears escaped, but sobbing, she had not. She kept her calm and kept her feelings under lock and key. She had to be the strong one. She saw how it was grating on her Dad, and she had to protect Jacob. Sniffling she swallowed hard and nodded. She just hoped they were right.


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N_

 _This chapter has some heavy themes such as self harm. If this is triggering for anyone, please don't read or just skip over the middle section._

 _Thanks_

 _T-G_

It was five in the morning when he heard the door open. Tony shot up off the couch and grabbed the nearest object, their lamp and he went to swing before he saw Gibbs standing there. "Grab some clothes and your gun." He whispered. "We've got her. We're getting her out."

Tony replaced the lamp and looked around. "The kids."

"Jenny. She's gonna talk to your neighbours. Go give them a kiss and let's go." Gibbs stood there wearing khakis, his hands shoved in his pockets.

Nodding, Tony walked into Jacob's room and pressed a kiss to his head. "I love you buddy. I'm gonna come back with Mummy." Without his processor, the little boy stayed silent and slept on.

Tony quietly made his way to Daniela's room, and the second the door opened, the little girl opened her blue eyes. "You going?" She whispered, sitting up, her eyes wide.

"We have intel on where Mummy might be." Tony sat down on the edge of her bed and pulled her into his lap. "Gibbs, McGee and I...we're going to go find her."

She nodded and took his hand, squeezing it softly. "Go. Be safe. I'll take care of Jacob." Turning in his arms, she gave him a tight hug. "I love you. Go bring Mummy back."

Swallowing a huge and growing lump in his throat he wrapped his arms around her tightly. "I love you and your brother so much." Tony whispered tightly.

"Love you too." Daniela replied as she pulled away slowly. Giving her a kiss, Tony got to his feet and headed out of her room shutting her door behind him.

Jenny sat on the couch along with Abby and gave him a weak smile. "Go." She whispered.

Nodding, Tony grabbed his go bag and slung it over his shoulder and holstered his handgun.

* * *

It was hot, fuck it was hot. Tony tugged at his thob and wiped the sweat from his brow. They could see Raqqa as they walked through the desert. McGee walked silently beside him. They weren't told where Gibbs and the troop of Marines were headed, but he knew that they had their back. Their goal, if you could actually call what was going to happen a goal, was to be captured. McGee had a GPS tracker on him and there were three US intelligence agents within Raqqa that would tip off Gibbs and the Marines. Entering the city, Tony glanced around. They were wearing the local style of clothing, but their goal was to stand out. He went to turn to McGee when everything went black.

* * *

Jenny tucked Jacob into bed and walked back to the couch. Trisha from next door wiped her hands on her jeans and gave the redhead a smile. "There, dishes cleaned up." She said settling on the couch beside Jenny. Before they had left, Gibbs had called the neighbours to see if they could help Jenny and Abby out while they were gone. The blonde refilled her glass of wine and filled up Jenny's glass with gingerale. The blonde was outgoing and friendly, and was more than willing to come over and help. Her husband was quieter, but was a true cowboy at heart, someone that Gibbs got along with instantly. Abby couldn't be with the children every waking hour, and Jenny got run down quickly so this was the best solution for all involved. The kids got along and liked the southern couple, so it was a good match.

"Any news?" Trisha asked as she sipped the red wine.

Shaking her head, Jenny placed her glass down and retied her scarf. "We probably won't know anything until they're back." She said softly.

Trisha nodded silently and tucked her right leg underneath herself. "Thanks for letting me help y'all." She said softly. "Jacob and Daniela are great kids."

"They are great kids. They've been dealt a tough hand, but they deserve to be happy. So do Tony and Ziva."

"Daniela looks a lot like her." Trisha said looking at the picture that was on the end table. "Like her mother."

Jenny hummed softly. "That was taken at their adoption hearing." She said with a small smirk. "Jacob and Daniela aren't Tony and Ziva's biological children." The former NCIS director laughed softly at Trisha's reaction. "But yes, there are right, they do look a lot alike." She sipped her gingerale and nodded softly. "They're a lot a like. Both of them have been through a lot. They're strong ladies." Jenny admitted.

The two older women talked softly amongst each other as they waited for Daniela to get out of the bathtub.

The little girl sat in the tub staring at the three razor blades she had line up on the edge. The light lines on her arms were barely visible and she was thankful that cooler weather was quickly upon them. Picking up one of the blades, she ran it over her skin, watching as small beads of blood appeared on her arm. She quickly wiped it off and watched it stream into the water. Turning her arm over, she stared at the pristine skin of her inner arm. With nimble fingers, she dragged the blade down her skin and watched as sliced through her skin. The pain rushed through her, followed by the silent sweetness that made her feel better. She didn't do it because she wanted to end her life or anything like that. No, she did it because after, she felt so much better.

"Dani? Are you almost finished?" Abby called. The noise made the little girl jump and the blade cut into her skin. Deep.

"Y-Yeah." Daniela called shakily as she scrambled out of the tub. She pulled on her pyjama pants and her undershirt as she tried to hold a towel to her arm. There was just so much blood. She opened the door and went to take a step, but her legs wouldn't cooperate. Then everything went black.

They heard the thump from the family room. Abby was the first one to reach the washroom and she stared frozen as a steady flow of blood that was dribbling down the tile floor. Trisha pushed the goth aside and gripped Daniela's forearm with the towel and held it up, cradling the girl to her chest. "Call an ambulance. I'm not sure what this baby did, but she needs to get to a hospital."

Jenny was already on her phone as Trisha grabbed a large beach towel and wrapped it around Daniela. Abby sprung into action and added a blanket. The two of them kept Daniela's arm above her head to slow the bleeding.

"I'll stay here with Jacob." Jenny said softly. Her immune system was seriously compromised and going into a hospital full of sick people probably wasn't the best idea.

Trisha nodded as Abby ran to get the front door. Two paramedics rushed in and started to work on Daniela. Stepping back, Trisha went over to Jenny and grabbed Daniela's health card and insurance. "We'll text as soon as we know anything." She assured Jenny before grabbing her jacket and running behind the paramedics.

* * *

"Fuck." Tony mumbled as he sat up gingerly, running his tongue along his teeth. His face was swollen and sore, a tooth loose and wiggling dangerously in his mouth. "Son of a bitch." Looking around he tugged on the binds that held his wrists and spotted McGee in the corner, in the same position. "McGee, you awake?"

A low grunt was his answer. "Yeah." The younger agent said slowly, his eyes still closed.

Their plan was to be captured, and hopefully, be taken to the same compound that Ziva was in. Wasn't much of a plan, but it was all they had. The door swung open and the harsh light infiltrated the small room.

"Why are you here?" The man hissed. "What the fuck do you want?"

Tony kept his mouth shut, only wincing when he felt the man's fist connecting with his face. After a minutes later the door opened again and a small figure was thrown into the room with them.


End file.
